Donald Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, told CNBC on Wednesday that American voters were looking for change, and that's why Trump won the "people's election."

Despite the polls saying otherwise, the Trump campaign was "very confident" about the presidential election, Conway said on "Squawk Box," the morning after the Republican real estate billionaire defied expectations and beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

"He's a game day player who won," she added.

"[Trump] is a problem-solver. He's a builder," Conway said. "When you are a businessman, you are accountable. You can't run your business with $19 trillion worth of debt like the federal government does somehow."

Conway said Trump will be a "hurry to get things done," and he'll have a Republican-controlled House and Senate to work with since the party held its majorities on Capitol Hill. "It's quite a mandate."

"There are a lot of folks on the gravy train scared to death, petrified today that the wheels may come off it, and we might just rip the engine out of the gravy train," Conway said, adding Trump was "a self-funding man by and large."

Asked about her future in a Trump administration, Conway said, "I will serve in whatever capacity I'm asked, where I feel like a can be most helpful."

In a early morning victory speech in New York City, Trump said Hillary Clinton conceded. He congratulated her on a hard-fought race, and vowed to be "president for all Americans."

Conway hit Clinton on "not campaigning enough" and not having a positive message. "You need to campaign, you need to connect with the people."

"Hillary Clinton just could not break past that stubborn 45, 46, 48 percent in these states that President Obama carried twice," Conway added.

Clinton is expected to speak Wednesday morning, after she broke with political tradition and declined to speak after her defeat.

After the surprising Trump win, Dow futures were sharply lower Wednesday morning, but recovered a large chuck of the more than 800 point decline around midnight on the East Coast, when the election appeared to be turning in Trump's favor.

Wall Street then opened mixed Wednesday.

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